


Practically Engraved

by harmony88



Series: Forever With You: Part 2 [16]
Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Minor Problem, Pregnancy, Romance, Rose Tyler Loves the Doctor, Sex, The Doctor Loves Rose Tyler, lots of feels
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-26
Updated: 2021-02-26
Packaged: 2021-03-17 18:47:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,657
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29721600
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/harmony88/pseuds/harmony88
Summary: COMPLETEThe Doctor and Rose are still trying to figure out their timeline and how to protect their child, and they take a trip to a new planet, and have a small problem to solve that makes the Doctor feel like destiny is at play.“Crush’s name?” he asked, smiling at her.“Like you never did that,” she teased, and he sniffed, standing and crossing to the console, returning a moment later with one of his old yellow sticky notes, where she saw her name written in Gallifreyan, carefully traced, practically engraved.“No idea what you mean,” he said, winking at her
Relationships: Tenth Doctor/Rose Tyler
Series: Forever With You: Part 2 [16]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2111892
Comments: 2
Kudos: 37





	Practically Engraved

**Author's Note:**

> This one used to be called "Interlude Part 4" but I noticed people weren't really reading it, and I figure its probably because that name may seem out of place in this set of stories (Interludes 1-3 were in the first series), so I renamed it! 
> 
> I have something planned to move the main plot forward but I couldn't logically do any of it yet after the way the last story ended, so this one a bit of happiness, joy, and fluff to set us up for where we need to be. I hope you like it!! Not a lot of action, but I kinda needed a break from that anyway. Mostly just Ten/Rose feels. :D

When it comes to the stars, his brain operates like a computer. He thinks of the name of one, sorts through the glossary of his mind, and quickly lists off every detail he possibly can about it in rapid succession. It’s a process that takes all of 1.876 seconds, and as he gazed up at the three hundred and sixty-two stars that made up the “Caspian’s Song'' constellation, he felt it happen again.

The fact that he briefly forgot all about it irritated him, but he was trying to let that go. He eventually remembered, and that was the important part, and he leaned his side against the doorjamb as Rose sat down next to him and handed him a cup of tea, brushing the side of her leg against his. 

The light reflected her skin, gold and orange and red, and he stared at her, enamored. 

“Hey, beautiful,” he whispered, and she bit her lip, setting her cup of tea on the grating next to her so she could properly dangle her legs over the edge of the doorway, like he was doing, and she grabbed his hand. 

“Hey, handsome,” she murmured, and he kissed her, unable not to when he saw the literal universe in her eyes, and she pulled away, leaning her head on his shoulder. 

“Did you get enough sleep?” he said quietly. It had been twelve hours since they left Wonderland, and she had slept for ten and a half of them. He had ran some tests when she first woke up, confirming that she and their daughter were just fine after the idiotic stunt the Queen pulled, and he made her that breakfast she asked for before he settled here, looking out into the dark abyss of space, counting the stars. 

“Yeah,” she assured him. It was the second time he asked, and she watched him smile in relief. He was distracted, she could tell, and she knew it was because of a lot of different reasons. “It’s gorgeous.” 

“It shouldn’t be here,” he said thoughtfully. “These stars are 12 billion years old...Should have died a long time ago.” 

“Well, they must be special,” she mused. He squeezed her hand, her words not helping his wandering thoughts. 

“They’re named after the water on the planet Caspis. It used to be right there, in the middle of the largest circle, but it’s been gone, well, my entire life, so…” he said and Rose looked out at the constellation, noticing how intricately woven each circle was. 

“What happened to it?” she asked. 

“War,” he said quietly, and she looked at him, alarmed. “Not with Gallifrey. I’d be much more worried right now if…” 

“It’s okay,” she said, kissing his shoulder. “Rassilon’s gone.”

“No, I know,” he said. “Like I said, not worried about that. But I wouldn’t put it past him to have left crumbs for someone to find if he was a part of it.” 

“Nah, his ego seemed a little too large to me,” she said. “A backup plan would imply he thought he might lose” 

She flashed him his favorite smile and he chuckled, kissing her forehead, “Quite right.” 

“Who was the war with?” she mumbled, getting back on track, and he shrugged. 

“Just...themselves. Caused their own destruction. As most do,” he mumbled. 

“Feels like we’re grasping at straws,” she sighed, and he clenched his jaw. 

“Something like that,” he muttered. “We’ll get there.” 

She looked at him, a little surprised he was so calm. A day ago he had been completely spiraling, and he wrapped his arms around her, processing. “Jack and Mickey never figured out the diamonds and it just doesn’t make sense. Why Rhodes would be drawing this…” 

“He must have seen it at some point,” she said. 

“Maybe, but it’s not visible from Earth. For some reason the only place you can see it with the naked eye is bloody Wonderland,” he groaned. 

“Then maybe he went to Wonderland…” she said, and he just gave her a look. She laughed. 

“Even if he did, he wouldn’t have known what he was looking at,” he said. Rose just rested her chin on his shoulder. 

“We don’t know what _we’re_ looking at,” she mumbled, “I don’t think these are just stars to Rhodes. It meant something. He carefully traced each circle meticulously in that journal. He went over each line countless times. It was practically engraved. Like when I used to trace my crush’s name in my schoolwork... It’s a symbol for something….It could mean whatever he wanted it to mean.” 

“Crush’s name?” he asked, smiling at her. 

“Like you never did that,” she teased, and he sniffed, standing and crossing to the console, returning a moment later with one of his old yellow sticky notes, where she saw her name written in Gallifreyan, carefully traced, practically engraved. 

“No idea what you mean,” he said, winking at her, and she stood, holding onto the railing as she tried to figure out counterweight with her ever growing stomach. “Rose, careful.” 

“When did you write that?” she asked, biting her lip. He just made a deflective face, entirely for show, and glanced down at the paper. 

“Must have been...Oh...December 25th, 2005?” he whispered. She stared at him. 

“I’ve seen that before,” she said, tears brewing in her eyes. “Doctor, that was just on the console for years. You never -” 

“Was never going to,” he said. “Tell you, I mean. But your name, Rose, always and forever, will keep me fighting.” 

She hugged him and he held her, kissing her head. “Don’t look at the inside cover of my copy of _A Christmas Carol,_ okay?” 

He bolted to the library. 

She was squealing as he bantered with her and looked through the shelves. She was laughing so hard her side was starting to hurt as they chased each other around the very large room, running up the stairs to the second level. She crawled onto his back to try to take the book back from him, all of it entirely a game at this point and he pulled her onto the couch, his body hovering over hers as he finally flipped the cover open, and he stared at it. 

_Run._

Carefully traced. Practically engraved. 

He had expected to see his name. But this…

He tossed the book to the side, ignoring the thud it made on the carpet as he lowered his lips to hers, still on the couch, and she wrapped her arms around his neck. He thrusted against her without meaning to, and she responded in kind which made his breath hitch, and he deepened the kiss. She felt his hands slide under her shirt and then under the bra she honestly no longer fit, mounds of flesh cupped in his hand as he began to squeeze and rub, and she moaned. 

“Doctor…” she gasped, and he licked her skin, tasting a small bit of salt. Her pregnancy pheromones were intoxicating, and he could feel her growing damp through her shorts, making him lose control entirely. 

He sat up, pulling his suit off, and she worked on his tie while he continued to touch her, the need to feel her skin overtaking all other senses. The floodgates of their minds opened, and for a moment they looked at each other, remembering who they were the day they wrote their prospective words on their prospective papers. Him, a man who didn’t know who the hell he was, whose first thought, first face, first smile, and only purpose had been _Rose,_ and her, a nineteen year old shop girl trying to understand how three simple letters could have catapulted her life in the way that they did. 

Both entirely, unabashedly and ridiculously in love with each other, and it took them three years and two universes to say it. 

“God, we wasted so much time,” he groaned. He’d said that to her before, and before she could respond about how they were an epic love story he was sliding his body into hers and she forgot how words worked entirely, simply moaning and whimpering with each move he made, each thought he sent her, and each sensation she knew she was making him feel. 

“Don’t...stop…” she somehow managed to say, and added a finger to his thrusts, watching as her mouth fell open and her eyes closed, and he just smiled. 

“Like that?” he asked, feeling a bit more daring and unafraid of those words knowing there wasn’t a toddler who could potentially hear them. 

Yet. 

“More,” she cried, and he added another finger, rubbing against her while he continued to move, and their thoughts were one. He knew it was only a matter of time before they’d have to start being more careful with sex. She was seventeen, almost eighteen weeks along, and she’d have to start being mindful of the time she spent lying on her back. But they didn’t have to worry about that now, and he took _full_ advantage of it. 

He brought her leg up higher, just a touch, enough to deepen his angle and make her cry his name, and he sent her images of times he wanted to have her and couldn’t, back when he was the man who wrote that sticky note. Back when she wore a waitress’ uniform around Cyberman that he found entirely unfair, or when she came back into the TARDIS with him, even after he changed his face. 

Before their wedding, that was the happiest day of his life. 

“Doctor…” she screamed, gripping the back of the couch as that thought rang like a song in her ear, and she came undone. He dropped her leg so he could hold her and feel every squeeze of her muscles around him, and he gasped, letting her take him along with her. 

The couch was small and not ideal for cuddling, but they made it work somehow, their legs tangled and other limbs still entwined, and he wasn’t in a hurry to move. He placed small, butterfly kisses onto her neck, noticing the goosebumps that arose, and she smiled, wrapping her hand in his hair.

“The happiest day of your life, huh?” she asked, and he sat up a little to look at her. 

“Yes,” he replied. There was no hesitation, not a hint of irony. He meant it with every fiber of his being and she could tell, and it made her speechless as he kissed her again. “Thank you.” 

“You don’t have to thank me for that. I wanted to come,” she said. 

“That just means you deserve another thank you,” he whispered. She rubbed her lips together. 

“I love you,” she said. 

“Oh, I love you, Rose,” he replied, a smile curled on his cheeks, and she winced slightly as he leaned down to kiss her, startling him. “What’s wrong? You okay? The baby?” 

“Fine, just...your knee…” she said, and he sighed, pulling away from her and realizing he probably added some pressure to her bladder, which she confirmed as she slid away from him and ran to the loo. 

He looked over at the copy of _A Christmas Carol_ and just smiled, running a hand through his hair. 

“DOCTOR!” 

There was an alarm in her voice that petrified him. 

He wasn’t even aware of his legs as he bolted to their ensuite, and he found her with a tape measure around her waist, completely naked, looking at herself in the mirror. 

“Oh, bloody hell, Rose,” he groaned, rubbing his hand over his face. 

“Look at my belly,” she cooed, her eyes wide and happy, and he smiled at her, his hearts pounding so hard it felt like they were beating out his chest. 

“Yeah,” he said, catching his breath a little. “Come here.” 

He pulled her into a hug, and he took a deep breath. 

“I don’t look bloated,” she said, staring at the mirror still. “I mean, I do...but...it’s a little round, isn’t it? Just a bit?” 

“Yeah, I see it,” he murmured, kissing her hair. “You look so beautiful.” 

“Did I scare you? Your heartbeat -” she said, and he shook his head. 

“I’m fine,” he assured her. “Don’t worry.” 

“I’m so sorry,” she said. “I just haven’t looked in the mirror in a couple days. We’ve been busy, and I just saw it and -”

“No, I love it,” he said. “I just...you sounded scared. I thought maybe you were bleeding or… Everything is fine. You’re fine. She’s fine. I’m fine.” 

He ran a hand along her belly, and he let out a breath. A moment passed, and then another, and she knew he was thinking. 

“Are you really okay if we call her Alice?” he whispered, locking eyes with her. 

His voice was so soft it almost broke her heart. She smiled and pulled her hand out of his so could cup his cheek, looking at him carefully. 

“I was going to suggest it,” she whispered. He just smiled.

“Me too,” he said, and he wrapped his arms around her in another hug. They stayed there for a moment, and she began to run her hand along his back in comfort, making him sigh and close his eyes. “It means a lot, Rose…” 

“I know,” she said. “I also think destiny was being a little sneaky, making her affect history like she has. She’s not even out of the womb.”

“Takes after her mother. Doing impossible things,” he said, pulling away to give her a wide grin, and she rubbed her lips together. The Oracle’s prophecy rang in their ears and she placed a hand on her stomach. 

“You know what we should do?” she asked. 

“Tell Jackie,” he said, a twinkle in his eye. She bit her lip and looked down at her hands. She didn’t say anything, and he furrowed his brow, wondering what about that sentence could possibly have upset her. “Rose, she’ll be thrilled.” 

“No, I know,” she said. “Yeah, we should go.” 

She turned her attention back to the mirror and he watched her, cupping his hand to her cheek. “What’s wrong?” 

“It’s stupid,” she said, shrugging and tossing the tape measure back in the drawer and moving to start the shower. 

“Rose,” he whispered, concerned, and she just sighed. 

“I...I don’t want to make you upset,” she whispered. He just started to laugh a little and she just groaned, and he took her hand when the water turned on and she tried to move away from him. 

“Please?” he murmured, his eyes locked with hers. 

“I’m just…” she began, “After Salem...I just thought…” He stared at her and she sighed, squeezing his hand. “I know it’s stupid. But I didn’t want you to have to look at me and my mum and remember. Not until -” 

“Oh, come here,” he said. He held her and was trying not to laugh in disbelief, finding this level of compassion impossible, even for her. He rubbed her back and kissed her, their mouths opening and closing around each other a few times before he pulled away, smiling. “You are all my family now. I want to go. Don’t ever worry about that.” 

“I know, I do. Like I said...stupid,” she muttered, and he just hugged her again. 

“No,” he assured her. “It’s...very Rose of you. Thank you.” 

A moment passed and she breathed in his scent, and she wrapped her arms around his neck tightly before she closed her eyes. “I love you.” 

“I love you, too,” he whispered. “Can I shower with you?”

She nodded, and they stepped in together, a happy bubble wrapping itself around them that at this point, even the diamonds couldn’t penetrate. Destiny was at play in ways they would just have to trust and all the stupid dread he had been feeling about regenerating and his father’s advice was gone the moment they named their daughter. 

He had hope. 

He was reading the back of her shampoo bottle with a very focused expression, and she was biting her lip as she watched him. She was shaving her legs while she could still bend over and see them, and he glanced up at her, sniffing. 

“You need new...everything,” he said. “Too many ingredients.” 

“None are harmful though, right?” she asked knowingly and his lips curled down in thought for a moment, making her laugh. 

“I mean, it’s all 21st century run of the mill rubbish,” he said. “No parabens, dye free, blah blah blah...but...you can do better. You both deserve better. Should have done this weeks ago.” 

“I like my shampoo,” she countered, moving to shave under her arms. “You like it, too.”

“We don’t have to change the scent,” he said. “We can go to Xenia, it’s a planet known for its healing properties. You can get whatever you want.” 

“Do they have chips?” she asked, and he just smiled at her. 

“I’d never go anywhere with you that didn’t,” he teased, and she laughed, taking the shampoo bottle from his hand and squirting some into her palm. 

“Fine,” she hummed. “But I’m using this one last time.”

“Be my guest,” he said. “I’m throwing it out right after this, though.” 

She hit his arm playfully and he made a happy sound, flirting and bantering with their eyes as they finished their shower, and he handed her a towel, watching the way she cradled it around her stomach, and he felt his throat tighten. 

“I meant to tell you,” he whispered. “You protecting her...Well done.” 

“I don’t even remember what I said. I was angry,” she said, and he smiled. 

“I know,” he said. “But you were brilliant.” 

She just looked at him as he tied his towel around his waist and stepped out of the shower completely, moving to start his hair routine. “I already love her more than I can comprehend.” 

Her words were a whisper, and he looked at her through the mirror as she wrapped her hair in a second towel. “Me too.” 

“Yeah?” she asked, watching him add some mousse to his locks. 

“She’s going to rock our world, Rose Tyler,” he said with a wink, and she laughed. 

“I think so, too,” she said, tossing her towel in a hamper she knew the TARDIS would empty out and grabbed her robe. Their eyes danced for a moment through the mirror before she kissed his shoulder and went to get dressed, and twenty minutes later her hair was up in a ponytail and he was back in his blue suit with a v-neck, and they walked out into Xenia. 

“Ah, fresh air!” the Doctor shouted, holding his hands out in a welcome gesture as the doors to the TARDIS closed behind them. “Fantastic!” 

His voice slipped into a northern accent for a moment and she stared at him, and he just clicked his jaw in a grin. “What? This planet has a north.” 

She smiled and fell more in love with him as he slipped his hand into hers, and he led her toward a mall. The planet was rather green, with lots of grass and tall trees and double suns, and the people they passed were all green as well. For a moment that made the Doctor belly laugh, she thought they reminded her of Poison Ivy. 

“Not too far off,” he whispered. “Not poison though. But they can talk to plants. Like I said, known for their healing properties.” 

She smiled and continued to look around, and it didn’t take long for her to realize the mall was a greenhouse. It was hexagonal in shape, entirely made of glass, and it had three stories. The layout felt fairly Earth-like and he opened the door, letting her go in first as they began to peruse the area, still holding hands. 

Shoe stores, clothing stores, and toy stores seemed to occupy most of the first level. Plants were everywhere, many of which people were walking up to and harvesting in some way, and the Doctor explained that in addition to what Xenia considered “non-essential” stores, the main purpose of the mall was a community garden, and everyone on the planet could come and use whatever they need for whatever they may need it for. 

His eyes lingered on a small child running to greet their parents and he sniffed, looking back at Rose as they headed toward a lift, knowing the store he had in mind was on the second floor. 

More people were on this level, and Rose realized the food court was here, too. She didn’t recognize a single plate, and despite the fact that morning sickness was basically gone, the thought of eating anything she saw walk past her gave her a stomach ache, until she saw a chip stand, and all was forgiven. 

He grabbed her a bowl as he led her toward a bath shop. It smelled like a strange assortment of flowers, but it wasn’t dizzying and after a moment she found it rather pleasant. He watched her look around. 

“Anything with honey?” she asked. 

He looked around too, pulling down a few samples of things and sniffing it. He scanned it all with his sonic screwdriver, much more pleased with the ingredient list, and Rose eventually found something she rather liked, and she just sighed. 

“What?” he asked. She rolled her eyes. 

“It’s rosewater,” she said. He laughed. “Been teased about that my entire life.” 

“Can I smell it?” he asked, and he handed it to him. He shook his head. “Impractical. I won’t be able to keep my hands off you.”

“You already can’t do that. How do you think this happened?” she teased, pointing at her belly, and they made faces at each other as a man behind the counter smiled at them. 

“Can I help you find anything?” he asked. Rose looked over and the Doctor just shook his head. The man nodded. “Well, my name is Topher, if you change your mind.” 

“Thanks,” Rose said, and the Doctor was looking at baby oil. Rose felt her heart flutter when she realized it and she crossed to him, leaning against the shelf. “You’re going to make us use all organic, completely overpriced _everything_ aren’t you?” 

“My sons were Time Lords, Rose,” he said quietly so no one could hear. “We didn’t have this kind of stuff back home. But our daughter’s grandmother is Jackie Tyler, and I saw how she handled baby oil with Tony. Slathered it on the poor kid. Might as well make sure there’s value in it.” 

Rose smirked, and he wrinkled his nose at it, putting it back on the shelf. She could tell he was excited to see her mother, and she grabbed a bar of soap from the shelf she was standing near, when she decided her nose had done enough work for the foreseeable future and she crossed to the counter, handing Topher the rosewater shampoo and conditioner. The Doctor added a different kind of baby oil, and baby lotion, and bubble bath, and she raised her eyebrows and tried to hide a teasing smile when he also threw in soap, face wash, shaving cream, and deodorant. 

“Find everything you were looking for?” Topher asked, glancing at Rose who had to turn away and laugh. He smiled. “How far along are you? My wife is five months.”

“I’m almost there,” Rose said, controlling her laughter that the Doctor definitely heard but chose to ignore. 

“Well, congratulations,” he said. “I did the same thing. Stocked up on everything. Xenia has the best products in the galaxy, especially for babies. Where are you from, if I might ask? We don’t see many people who aren’t green around here.” 

“Earth,” Rose said, and the man stared at her. 

“You’re joking,” he said. Rose just shook her head, and the Doctor inwardly groaned. In the last few weeks they only had a few days without some sort of scuffle they had to deal with, and if the universe tried anything today he was pulling her into the TARDIS and they were leaving. If it wasn’t related to the diamonds, it could wait. 

“Nice to meet you, Topher,” the Doctor said quickly, grabbing the bag and taking Rose’s hand, and he tried to lead her back to their ship, sensing a problem rearing its ugly head, when Topher suddenly ran out to catch them, and the Doctor sighed. 

“Wait!” he called, and Rose turned. 

“Rose, I want to go,” he said, but she just gave him a small look before she turned to Topher, who stopped just before them. 

“Are you really from Earth? Both of you?” he asked. The Doctor didn’t say anything, not wanting to give the man more reasons to try to keep them here, and he just smiled. “This might seem like a very, very, very invasive question -” 

“Then don’t ask,” the Doctor said dully, and Rose nudged him a little. 

“My wife heard about this thing you have on Earth that lets you see the baby before it's born,” he said. “We have lots of wonderful things on Xenia, but nothing like that. I was wondering how you got here? And if there is a way we could visit Earth and -” 

The Doctor sighed and found his irritation dissipating at the eagerness in this future father's eyes, and it made his throat feel a little tight. He nodded. 

“Tell you what,” the Doctor said, “I’m a doctor. We have that on my ship. You two come meet us there in, oh...two hours? I can do an exam, get you a picture.” 

“Really?!” Topher asked, and Rose felt her throat tighten in understanding at the excitement in his voice. “Thank you! Oh, thank you, where should we meet you?” 

“By the entrance,” Rose said, smiling at him, and Topher was beaming, saying thank you again as he ran back to the bath shop to finish his shift, and Rose looked up at the Doctor, giving him a look for being so suspicious. 

“Can you blame me?” he asked, and she just wrapped her arms around him. 

“Not at all,” she admitted. “What are we going to do for two hours?” 

“Explore the planet. See more shops. Take a nap,” he said, and she laughed. 

“Your age is showing,” she teased, and he flashed her his deductive face. 

“You may have slept the morning away, Rose Tyler, but I didn’t. I’m tired,” he admitted, and she felt her smile fall. 

“Did you get any sleep?” she asked, a little worried about him. He nodded. 

“I’m fine, I promise. Got a few hours but I just wanted to look at the constellation, see if there was anything we could learn from it. I was reading about it in the library while you were resting,” he said. She counted his freckles for a moment and he rolled his eyes. “Stop.” 

“No nightmares?” she asked. 

“No,” he said. “I dreamt of orange sunsets.” 

“What?” she asked, and he just smiled, wiggling his fingers out to her as they walked through the mall, window shopping while they continued to talk. 

“What did you dream about, then, hm? If we’re sharing,” he said. She just shook her head. 

“I don’t remember,” she said. “You just dream about _orange_ sunsets?” 

He nodded, looking at some clothes in a display with no actual interest in them, and he moved on, heading toward the back of the mall, far more excited about the wall of plants that laid before them. 

“This, Rose Tyler, is called Gillytress,” he said, deflecting just a little, “It’s an herb that is wonderful for treating headaches. This one is Lion’s Breath, good for stopping anger….This one is Mineral something...Can’t remember, but it’s good for hydration. This -” 

“Doctor,” she said, and he sighed, lowering the piece of greenery he was holding and looking at her. 

“I swear if it was anything serious I would tell you. It’s a good dream,” he said. “Okay?” 

“Okay,” she said, and he smiled at her, continuing his lecture about the plants they were near. 

He was still deflecting, and he knew why. He was having a good day. He had been in such a rut since he saw his parents and today he finally felt like himself. Yesterday knocked some sense into him the moment he made her cry. 

He didn’t want to think about Gallifrey today. 

He was rambling on, words he wasn’t entirely certain made sense by the look on her face and he stopped, waiting for her to say something but she didn’t, and he knew that she knew everything he had such thought and felt, and she wasn't going to push. 

He loved her for that. 

They walked around a little bit longer, the Doctor still telling her all he knew about this place, and they sat down with some sort of snack that didn’t make Rose’s nose turn, looking at all the plants that were above their heads, and the Doctor pulled a flower off of the branch. 

“This is the root of the Lada Plant,” he said. “Helps with contractions.” 

She stared at him and he winked at her, putting it in his pocket. 

She didn’t want to think about the pain of childbirth even though she knew she should. She had been shot, stabbed, beaten, zapped, tackled, strapped to a table and more, and she loved this baby so much and she couldn’t wait to see her, but childbirth….

She’ll worry about that when her water breaks. 

He could hear her and he gave her a look, and she rolled her eyes. “I don’t actually mean that, don’t freak out,” she assured him. 

“Well, we should come up with a birthing plan. Doesn’t have to happen now, but...the more prepared we both are the better, I think,” he said. 

“Do you want to deliver her?” she asked softly, and he just smiled. 

“Course I do,” he said, and she leaned her head on his shoulder. 

“There, planned,” she said and he laughed. 

“A lot more to think about than just -” he began, and she just squeezed his hand. 

“I know,” she whispered. “I also trust you. We’ll be okay.”

His eyes danced with hers for a moment, and he kissed her, pulling her a little closer to him on the bench. 

“Martha should be there. In case I can’t for some reason,” he murmured, and she kissed him again. 

“You saying you might get emotional on me, Doctor?” she asked, her tongue pressed in the corner of her mouth. He smiled. 

“Me? Please, I’m emotionally distant,” he teased, sniffing and darting his eyes away for a moment, and she sighed. He pressed his forehead to hers, not caring if it was a bit much for a public mall. “I’m gonna be a wreck. But in all the best ways, Rose.” 

She hugged him, and he felt her heartbeat in his ring, grounding him. 

Everything he needed was in his arms, where he knew they were safe. 

“I love you so much,” she whispered. 

“I love you, too,” he replied, and he took her hand, continuing their walk around the mall until they spotted Topher and a woman in a black dress standing by the glass doors at the front, and they walked up to them. 

“Hello,” Rose said, and Topher turned to look at her, smiling. 

“Hello,” he said. “Again, thank you so much.” 

“I’m Reena,” the woman said, and Rose smiled at her. 

“Rose,” she said. 

“I’m the Doctor,” he said, and Topher and Reena just stared at him. 

“We just...can’t believe our luck, running into you,” Reena said. “We’ve been hoping to be able to see them.” 

“Well, let’s not waste time, then,” the Doctor said. “Allons-y.”

They walked out of the mall back into the double suns, which were warm and welcoming as they made their way back to the TARDIS. Topher was asking the Doctor and Rose how they knew about Xenia, and the Doctor just smiled. 

“I’m a doctor. This is a planet with healing properties. What do you think?” he asked with a wink, unlocking the door and letting them in. “Oh, it’s bigger on the inside.” 

“What?” Reena asked, but she turned to look at the console room, and her jaw dropped. “Oh.” 

“This is from Earth?” Topher asked, shocked, and the Doctor just closed the door as he led them down the hall to the infirmary.

“This way,” he said, ignoring his question, and Rose stood a few feet back as Reena sat on the exam table she was so familiar with, and the Doctor was explaining what all the sensors did he was hooking up to the monitor. Topher looked completely overwhelmed for a moment, and the Doctor turned the monitor on and the room got quiet, just as a heartbeat began to echo around the walls. 

A single one. 

“Right, then,” the Doctor said, smiling at Topher and Reena who were awestruck at the “whooshing sound”, “You ready?” 

“Yes,” the both said, and the Doctor hovered his scanner over Reena’s stomach, and he turned the monitor to face them. 

Rose watched like a fly on the wall, recognizing the look of joy she saw on both Reena and Topher’s faces, and she couldn’t help but rub her hand along her own stomach. Her eyes met the Doctor’s from across the room and he winked, turning his attention back to the monitor, when suddenly he frowned. 

“Reena, you’re five months along?” he asked. She nodded, unable to speak. 

“Is everything alright?” Topher asked, his smile faltering. The Doctor just grinned and turned the monitor back toward him a bit, and he cleared his throat. 

“It’s just...there’s a lot of fluid, more than there should be. You’re part plant, and your children form in the nucleus which has some fluid usually, but this is...Reena, have you had any stomach cramps?” he asked. Her eyes widened, and she tried to sit up, but the Doctor pressed a hand on her shoulder gently. “It’s okay. Just yes or no.” 

“Yes,” she said, and he nodded. 

“I can drain the excess,” he continued. “If you’d like.” 

“Is it safe?” Topher asked, his voice alarmed. The Doctor nodded. 

“You’re lucky you did this,” he said, his hearts fluttering over the fact that he almost tried to walk away, but Rose made him stay, and he was quite possibly the only one in the universe who could have done this scan, and found this problem, and saved their baby’s life, and he was feeling rather irritated with himself. Whether or not this was destiny, he’d never know, but he believed in that word now, and if nothing else, it was damn good timing. 

“It’s um...another week the baby would be too large for the procedure to be successful. Would have led to complications but...He should be fine.” 

His voice was slow and calculated, the way it gets when he could tell whoever he was speaking to wouldn’t be able to keep up with his normal rhythm, and his eyes were checking in with them on every syllable, making sure they heard him, trying to get them to trust him. 

“He?” Reena asked, and the Doctor just smiled at her in assurance. 

“Congratulations, it’s a boy,” he said, and he tilted the monitor back as he moved away from the couple, washing his hands and digging around in his equipment for the needle he knew he needed. 

Rose, from the moment she saw her husband’s smile falter, had been holding her breath. She watched him as he returned to Reena’s side, and Topher looked like he was about to be sick. 

“Wait, I don’t know you. I don’t know -” he began, and Rose crossed to him, one of her infectious smiles on her face, and he stopped the moment he saw her. 

“She’s in good hands, I promise,” she said quietly, and the Doctor’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he looked at Rose for a moment, glancing down at her belly before he looked at Reena, and he nodded.

“I have this gel, to numb your skin,” he began, and he applied it in slow circles, trying not to go too fast and scare her. “Rose, can you hold the scanner?” 

She moved without speaking, holding it in place and he used it as a camera. “That okay?” 

“Perfect,” he said. “Don’t be alarmed. I give you my word, it’ll be over before you know it.” 

“Okay,” Reena said, and the Doctor pressed the needle into her abdomen very carefully, not going too deep, and Rose saw he was many centimeters away from their baby as he pulled back on the syringe, extracting the extra fluid that Rose thought looked a bit like a green aloe vera once she saw it in the equipment the Doctor was using, and he set it down on the table next to him. 

“Pick a band aid,” he said, smiling cheerfully, and Reena just stared at him. 

“It’s done?” she asked, and he nodded. 

“Yep, and look,” he said, turning the monitor back to the couple. “Still sleeping. Completely fine.” 

Topher couldn’t tear his eyes off of the screen and the Doctor let out a quiet breath, taking his gloves off. He brushed his hand along Rose’s belly briefly, kissing her head as he grabbed a bandage and put it on Reena’s skin. He didn’t see any blood, but he didn’t want them to get scared if they saw a drop or two eventually, and he took a picture, letting the sonogram print out behind him, and he handed it to Reena. 

“Thank you so much,” she whispered. “Oh, thank you!” 

She sat up and threw her arms around the Doctor who laughed a little and gave her a friendly hug back. “It’s alright. You’re okay,” he assured her, looking at Rose when the woman continued to cling to him, and she bit her lip. 

“Reena,” Topher said, “Let the man breathe a bit.” 

“Sorry,” she said, pulling away and leaning her body onto her husband’s instead. “You are just...like a guardian angel.” 

“Oh, no,” the Doctor said, brushing the words off. “Just glad it all worked out.”

“What else do you need from the shop?” Topher asked. “You can have it.” 

“Tell you what,” the Doctor said, “When we run out of all we got today, we’ll come back. Take you up on that then, check on the baby.” 

Reena wiped some tears away and Topher just smiled, shaking the Doctor’s hand as they held their sonogram in their hands, and they walked back toward the door. Rose’s head was leaning on her husband’s shoulder as they waved goodbye, watching Topher and Reena smile and kiss on their way back toward the mall, and she let out a deep breath. 

“Well done,” she whispered, and he kissed her forehead. 

“I need to scan you,” he said. “Please.” 

“Okay,” she said. They both knew she was fine, he had just ran a test that morning, but their nerves were a little jumbled at the moment. He sanitized everything with his sonic before she jumped up, and she hovered the scanner over her belly. 

A double “whoosh” echoed across the room, and they smiled at each other. 

“There’s our girl,” he said, holding Rose’s hand. “Just fine.” 

“Look at all those fingers,” Rose hummed, and the Doctor just smiled at her. “Come here.” 

He set the scanner down and hugged her, and he just let out a breath. 

“Let’s go see your mum, yeah?” he asked, and she bit her lip and nodded, following him to the console room, where the gentle hum of the TARDIS materialized in the Tyler’s backyard, ready for a bit of domesticity with his perfectly imperfect human family. 


End file.
